Words as Weapons
by TarkatanAssassin
Summary: Mileena has been revived without a single scratch on her, and threatens to take control of Outworld and Earthrealm with her newfound weapon. Fujin has entrusted Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade with the task of stopping her. The plan is simple, go to Outworld, find Mileena, and bring her down. However, things don't always work out as wanted.
1. Chapter 1

A twig crunched under Sonya's boot as she walked along the pathway. She was dressed in casual clothing, the only remnant of her uniform was her long blonde plait, enough for who she was meeting to recognise her from a distance.

She hoped Fujin would notice her. The wind god had come to the military base to speak to her, telling her he had important information to share. He'd also said they'd meet at the Shopping Centre, in the outside area, just at the fountain.

Sonya adjusted her dark green t-shirt, moving her plait to hang over her shoulder. She pushed past the shoppers at the centre, grumbling to herself. It seemed some people just didn't look around, bumping into her and one another. Once she reached the fountain in the centre, Sonya sat down on the edge of it, glad she could find a spot between an elderly couple and a young woman on her phone.

There was a good chance her own daughter was here. Cassie wasn't one to miss any good sales, especially with her paycheck coming in. Knowing her, she would be with Jacqui, the girls would go to store to store, buying more clothes, jewelry, and items they didn't need. Not that Sonya truly minded, it meant more clothes to borrow from her daughter if she was desperate.

So far, she hadn't spotted Fujin, and he hadn't walked over to speak to her. Sonya sighed, resting her head on her fist and continuing to scan the crowd, hoping to see the wind god. He'd said to meet around 12, he couldn't be far.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Sonya rolled her eyes. Out of all the cliché movie lines she'd heard come from this man's mouth, that line had to be one of the worst.

"Getting too caught up in your movies, Cage?" She grumbled, still facing away from him. She heard her ex-husband scoff, then narrowed her eyes as he sat down next to her, a little too close for her liking. She made a point of shuffling away from him, before asking, well, demanding. "Why are you here?"

Johnny sighed, tapping his hands on his knees. He wore a black shirt, the neck on it low enough to show the top of his tattoo. His dark blue jeans contrasted greatly against his bright green sneakers. His greying brown hair was gelled back as usual, and he wore a pair of sunglasses. "Fujin visited me. Said to meet him here."

"What?" It was Sonya's turn to scoff. She crossed her arms, leaning back slightly. "But he contacted me."

"Yeah, he spoke to both of us." He explained, turning to make eye contact. "He told me he wanted to tell you as well. Said he'd give us more information later." She frowned at Johnny's words, Fujin hadn't said anything about this to her. The god had only told her to meet him here, he'd avoided adding anything about contacting Johnny as well.

"He never said anything about-" She stopped when she finally saw him. Fujin stood out like a sore thumb, shoppers nearby have him strange looks, whispering to each other. The wind god wore his usual outfit, red and black shirt that revealed his chest, and teal, baggy pants. His long, white hair was tied back into a plait. His wore his gauntlets and boots, and walked over to the pair, clear white eyes fixed on the pair.

"Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade." He nodded to both, stopping short in front of them. "I am glad you arrived." He turned to look at the people behind him, noticing he'd amassed a small crowed. "Please, follow me. This place is too public."

Both Johnny and Sonya stood to follow him. The pair didn't say a word to each other as Fujin lead them around a corner, to a far quieter park. He gestured to a nearby bench. Once they sat down, Fujin explained.

"I wanted to speak to both of you, as you are Earthrealm's saviours." Fujin had taken a seat in between them. The god leant forward slightly. "There is a new threat in Outworld, have you heard of Mileena's death?"

"Yeah, Cass told me she saw it." Despite knowing how serious this talk would be, Johnny almost slouched on the bench, seated as if he was at home on his couch. His arm was across the back of the wooden bench, he himself was sprawled out, making the seat seem almost comfortable.

Sonya, who sat with her legs together, hands folded on her lap, similar to how students sit during a class photo, rolled her eyes at his comment. "By the sounds of things, Mileena was destroyed inside-out."

"Which she was." Fujin noted. "Many people saw her dead, she had no skin left on her face. However, Raiden spoke to me two days ago, he told me Outworlders had seen her. They say she has her face, and is completely fine."

A silence passed over the two mortals. Johnny shuffled in his spot, while Sonya murmured to herself, shaking her head in disbelief.

Fujin waited for them to look back at him. "That is why I contacted both of you. I would like you to go into Outworld and find her. We all know how dangerous Mileena is, if she gains any power it will be completely unstable."

"Roger that." Johnny was the first to speak, cutting Sonya off. The blonde rolled her eyes yet again, ignoring the look of confusion from Fujin. "If Sonya is okay with travelling with me, I'm sure we can find Butter Face in no time."

Now, Sonya felt both men looking at her. She sighed, nodding. "Yes, I'm sure I can handle your whining for a few weeks." She ignored the hurt look Cage gave her and the uncomfortable shuffle from Fujin. She stood from the bench, now facing Johnny and Fujin. "Anything else?"

"If it is not too much," the god shifted in his seat again, "I would appreciate it if you take Johnny Cage's team with you. They could learn more about Outworld, and have another chance to prove themselves. And I'm sure you would appreciate more assistance."

"No trouble at all." Johnny grinned. "I can message them any time, they're all around the area currently."

"It's settled then." Sonya put her hands on her hips, looking over Fujin. The wind god still seemed uncomfortable, as if he felt he shouldn't be here. "When do you want us to leave?"

"Preferably, as soon as possible." Fujin told her. He cleared his throat. "Raiden and I are both very concerned, we want this threat to Earthrealm gone."

Sonya nodded, and turned to her ex-husband. "We'll leave tomorrow morning, around 8am, got it? Meet at the portal, and go to Outworld."

"Don't you think it'll take longer?" When Sonya raised an eyebrow, Johnny explained. "Y'know, getting four young adults ready? Takeda and Jacqui won't want to go, and don't even get me started on-"

"They're your team." She stepped closer to him, gritting out the words slowly, making a point of them. "It's your responsibility to get them together by 8am tomorrow. If you're not there, I'm going out alone."

He rolled his blue eyes as he took a step closer. Now any distance between them was closed, Sonya had to tilt her head upwards to see his face. "You know that is a stupid idea, Sonya. Going into Outworld alone, even if you are a general, going out alone would be suicide. Plus you know Kotal isn't too friendly with us since we took Shinnok's amulet back, he may hurt you."

"In that case," the general stood up on her tiptoes to become more level with Johnny, "you better get both your ass and four others at the portal in time. I don't have the time to wait and let a potential threat wander out alone."

"Fine." Johnny crossed his arms, still staring down at her. "We'll meet up at 8, and go through the portal no earlier than 8:30." She opened her mouth to protest, irritated when Johnny held up a hand to stop her. "Deal?"

"Deal." She said it slowly, reluctantly agreeing to his terms. It may have only been half an hour, but it was an extra half an hour for Mileena to disappear further into Outworld.

They both turned to Fujin, who still sat on the bench, twiddling his thumbs. Although he had no pupils, they understood he was pointedly looking away from them, eyes fixed on the ground in front of him. Realising they'd finished their argument, the wind god spoke. "I will not be joining you, as I am needed here in Earthrealm. Both Raiden and I are sure six of Earthrealm's defenders will be able to find her."

"It won't be a problem." Sonya said, her tone harsh. She prepared to turn and leave, when Johnny spoke up.

"That reminds me, Fujin. Where's Rai-dude?" At the god's confused expression, he said. "Raiden. Where's Raiden."

"He's been busy." Fujin murmured, keeping steady eye contact with Johnny. "After Shinnok invaded, Raiden has been working harder to defend Earthrealm from any further threats, focusing on the Netherrealm and Outworld."

Johnny seemed disappointed with his answer. "It's been strange, that's all. I haven't heard anything from him at all."

"He is busy." Fujin repeated with sudden sternness in his tone. Johnny and Sonya shared a quick, confused look. "It is nothing, he will be able to see you again soon. I believe you two best go and prepare for tomorrow." He stood from his seat, nodding to both as he hurried away from them, soon disappearing into a crowd of people.

"Well," Johnny turned to Sonya, giving her a small smile, "that was weird."

"Suspicious." She agreed, looking back to where the wind god had last been visible. After quickly checking the time on her phone, she turned back to Johnny. "See you tomorrow, Cage."

"Bye, baby." He grinned. His grin turned to laughter when she flipped him off.

Sonya felt Johnny's eyes on her as she marched away, trying to remember where she parked her car. As she made her way through the crowds of shoppers, she couldn't help but think back to what she'd just agreed to. Being stuck with Cage and his team wasn't going to be fun, she was certain those five would find anything to complain about. Yet she was thankful they'd be with her, Johnny wasn't wrong when he said going alone in Outworld was suicide.

She just hoped they'd find Mileena before it was too late.


	2. Chapter 2

Needless to say, Johnny's team was unimpressed with the sudden change in plans. The four had been enjoying their holiday, and protested greatly when he sent them messages in the group chat. After threats of adding Sonya to the chat, they all agreed to go, but Johnny just knew they'd be in terrible moods for the whole trip.

Sighing, he threw his blue t-shirt into his backpack, which currently lay open on his bed, spilling out all of his clothes and necessities. He'd never been one to start his packing neatly, after he found everything he wanted he'd sort it out. Once Johnny found a third pair of shorts, he walked over to his bed and started folding his clothes, putting them into the bag neatly. Ultimately, he decided he only needed two pairs of sunglasses, and returned the other three pairs to their rack.

"Dad?" Her voice was surprisingly quiet for anyone, let alone Cassie. Johnny turned to look at her, his daughter was dressed in her cotton pajama bottoms and a pink singlet. She leant against the door frame, blue eyes, the same shade as Johnny's, flicking from his bag to him.

Her soft tone had him worried. His daughter was usually brash and loud, but she seemed nervous. "What's wrong, Punkin?"

Cassie sighed, putting her hands together. "I'm..stupidly nervous about going to Outworld. And seeing Mom again." She paused. "It's a combination of both."

"Why are you nervous about seeing her?" Johnny sat down on his bed, tone sincere. He watched as Cassie shifted from foot to foot. "She's your Mom. Or, are you worried you won't be able to do what you did with Shinnok again?"

A silence passed over them, before Cassie nodded. _Ah, so that was it._

"Hey, I haven't been able to summon the halo in years. Don't worry about it, Cass." He gave her a grin.

"I guess you're right. I should be fine." She mimicked his grin. Cassie now stood more casually, she was like Johnny, it didn't take much to banish smaller doubts in her head. If it had been truly bothering her, she would still be seeking support. "So, Dad, are you gonna try and...work things out?"

He laughed, brushing a hand through his hair. "Well, like I said to you before, I'd like to work things out with her. But I don't think Sonya wants to."

"Maybe she does." He raised a brow at Cassie's comment. His daughter explained. "We all know Mom. She isn't that great at, y'know, _expressing_ her feelings. Maybe her continuous nagging and yelling at you is her way of showing she cares." She ended her analysis with a shrug. "But I don't know."

"Woah." Johnny leant back in his seat, looking up at Cassie in disbelief. "You got very profound there for a second."

She grinned again, pushing a stand of blond hair behind her ear. "My profoundness comes and goes. It hit me the night after we beat Shinnok, I was thinking about how she yelled at us both..a lot. And she sent us away. We saw it as her being a bitch. But she might have been yelling because she was worried, I know that I do that too, yell at people when I care."

"Again, really profound." He smiled up at her. Cassie yawned in front of him, leaning against the doorframe again. "Hey, hate to send you to bed like you're a little kid again, but we're getting up pretty early tomorrow to go to the base."

"Yeah, thanks to Mom's impatience." She yawned again, wiping one of her eyes. "Goodnight, Dad."

" 'night, Cass." He watched her walk down the hallway before he turned to his own bed, landing on the mattress with a soft thump. The backpack still lay at the foot of the bed, but he was too lazy to move it, instead rolling onto his side and closing his eyes.

Truth be told, Johnny was almost excited to go to Outworld. Mileena couldn't be difficult to track, plus he'd be back with his team, and most importantly, Sonya. The blonde may not share the feelings of excitement, and slight dread, that he felt, but he was still looking forward to speaking with her again. He just hoped she'd stop and listen to him.

* * *

"Alright, Cassie in the front seat, Takeda and Jacqui at a window each, and Jin, you're in the middle."

"What?!" The archer narrowed his eyes at Johnny, crossing his arms. "That's bullshit, Mister Cage."

"Hey, my car, my rules." He ran a hand across his Trans Am as he walked to the driver's door. The car, like a lot of things Johnny owned, was obnoxiously bright green, a topic of conversation at many parties the actor went to. At the back, printed across the boot, was "CAGE", written in dark blue. The eagle print on the bonnet had been repainted in the same dark blue, with a silver hood ornament at the front. The ornament was in the shape of sunglasses, almost everything on and in this car had been custom made.

Jin shuffled into the middle seat, grumbling while he did so. Takeda and Jacqui sat either side of him, giving each other a small smile before pointedly looking out the windows. Cassie moved into the passenger seat, flicking a stick of gum into her mouth as she sat down. Johnny pulled his seatbelt over his chest, and then started the car, turning his music up. He grinned as the three in the backseat rolled their eyes.

It took them half an hour to drive to the base; however it felt shorter once the five had started to talk to each other. The conversation started with Jin's irritation towards the seating plan in the car, then changed to what Mileena could possibly be planning.

"Personally, I think she's got some magic behind her." Jacqui leant against the car door, brown eyes looking over in Jin and Takeda's direction. "It wouldn't be the first time an Outworlders has used magic to come back to life."

"Isn't she a clone of Kitana?" Turning to face the others, Cassie raised her brow. "I mean, what if there's more than one clone? Mileena might not be the only one."

Jin scoffed, leaning back into his seat with his arms crossed. "Yeah, but why would they have the same motives? The clones would've experienced different stuff, they wouldn't all be exactly the same."

"Actually, Jin," Takeda cleared his throat before speaking up, brown eyes scanning the others before he said, "they could be sharing a mind. If they're clones, whoever made them-"

"Shang Tsung." Johnny interjected, eyes still fixed on the road. It was always interesting, hearing his team discuss things like this. They came up with so many different assumptions, and usually they were right.

"Oh right, thanks, Mister Cage. Shang Tsung could've made them with the exact same mind." Takeda smiled, proud of his explanation. "I'm not exactly sure how Outworld sorcery works, but, assumedly, it would be easier for him to copy an already made mind, rather than create a new one from scratch."

"That's only if Cassie's clone theory is right." Jin reminded them. At Cassie's frown, he added. "Calm down, Cage, I didn't say it was bad. It's the only good theory we've got." After a pause, he added. "You should definitely tell General Blade that idea, she'd want to investigate."

Tapping on the steering wheel, Johnny said. "Oh yeah, you'll want to tell her that. I know Sonya would've stayed up last night, writing up why Mileena could possibly be alive, but there's a chance she may have missed that thought."

Pulling into the Special Forces' car park, Johnny grinned when he saw his ex-wife. She wore her combat gear, arms crossed over her chest. Once she saw the Trans Am, she walked towards them, passing her own army green Harley Davidson.

His team climbed out of the car, Cassie opened the boot and they all reached in for their backpacks, slinging it over their shoulders. Johnny caught his bag when someone threw it at him, smiling as the General stepped closer.

"Haven't seen the bike in ages." He gestured to her motorbike, whistling as he looked over it. "Still looks brand new."

His ex turned away from him to look back at the bike. She wasn't quick enough to hide any emotions, Johnny saw her proud grin. Still, she attempted to shrug it off, looking at him again. "I don't do stupid shit while on the bike, I look after it. Same as you with your car."

"Can we go now?" Jin called out to them. He held onto his bag with one hand, eyelids lowered and looking rather impatient. Sonya just nodded.

"We should go. The quicker we get there, the sooner we find Mileena." Although she usually spoke in a serious tone, Johnny saw her tone as even more serious than usual, with a hint of determination behind it. At Sonya's comment, the six of them started walking towards SF's headquarters, all talking amongst themselves.

"I got here an hour early, spoke with Alto and got the coordinates for the portal organised." Sonya marched beside Johnny. Apparently, she assumed he knew all the soldiers here personally. Johnny just nodded, he had no idea who Alto was, or even what the man looked like. "Everything's set up, we just have to turn it on and step through."

Johnny nodded, looking over her again. Dark circles were under her blue-grey eyes, yet she still looked sharp and alert. "You didn't get much sleep last night, did you? Stayed up looking into why Mileena's back?"

She nodded, yawning on queue. "It'd be easier if Raiden was talking to us. I know he's got tonnes of books about this kind of thing, what magic and methods could be used to bring a person back to life. I can't suspect Quan Chi either, and he's the only necromancer I know."

Of course. It did point to Quan Chi, especially after his closeness with Shang Tsung, and habits of reviving dead kombatants. But both Johnny and Sonya had seen him die. Hanzo had been pissed, and sliced the man's head off, releasing Shinnok and hell onto Earthrealm. "People need to start staying dead." Johnny attempted to joke, grinning as he looked at her. Sonya didn't seem too impressed.

Once they entered the building, some soldiers nodded to them, others saluted Sonya. The portal was close to the entrance, in case anything went wrong and they needed to evacuate. Once they opened the doors to the room, which were heavy and locked from the outside, the portal lit up instantly, engulfing the room in purple light.

No matter how many times Johnny saw it, the portal always managed to amaze him with just how bright it was. His eyes slowly adjusted to the intensity of the glare, the only person who seemed unaffected was Sonya, who walked closer to it. She turned a few steps in front and waited for the others to catch up to her.

Once she'd called a thank you to Alto, Sonya stepped through the portal. The purple light swallowed her whole; it left no sign of her ever being there. Cassie walked through after her, followed by Jin, Jacqui, and then Takeda. Johnny looked around the room one last time, tightening the straps of his backpack before he stepped through, leaving Earthrealm completely.


	3. Chapter 3

It was the intensity of the sun's glare that woke Mileena up. She'd been lucky to find a spot down here that still had sun come through it. The spot told her what time it was, she could stand on crates near the small gutter and track its position. Thankfully, it hadn't rained yet, so the area remained dry.

However, she knew she couldn't stay here.

Who would've thought the false emperor could see through her plan? And just when she believed she'd succeeded, too. She'd run so fast, only to be held in place by the being of ten thousand traitors. He only won because of his magic; had it been a fair fight, Mileena would have killed him.

She had been in these tunnels for 4 days, and it was already taking a toll on her. She craved fresh air, the feeling of something other than stone under her boots, and more importantly, proper food. Feasting on small creatures that passed her wasn't enough, and the taste was nowhere near as nice as humanoid flesh.

Mileena yawned, wiping her yellow eyes as she sat up from the ground. The stone was hard on her bones, resting on it hurt, but she had nothing else to use as comfort. Although, she was given the luxury of keeping her sai with her, having weapons down in this cave was useful. While she hated to admit it, the Kahn of Outworld had given her a blessing.

The area she'd stayed at for the past couple of days had been a good area, but she'd been here for too long. It wasn't strategic to stay here. Now, Mileena was starting to get desperate. Exploring the tunnels could lead her to a way out.

Judging by the old candles mounted on the stone walls, the tunnels had to be an underground way out, in case of an invasion. And knowing her late father, Shao Kahn, he would have memorised the correct route to escape, not telling anyone or leaving any clues. There was a high chance Kotal Kahn didn't know, just how Mileena liked it. The emperor probably thought she'd never find her way out.

The heels on her boots clicked against the smooth stone as she walked down the hall, the small amount of sunlight escaping her. Mileena kept her right hand on the wall, following it as she walked. This way, she'd be able to make her way back to the sunlight easily, by simply turning around and keeping one hand on the wall.

If Shao Kahn had his way, there would most likely be some sick, sadistic traps in the tunnels. He had enjoyed watching his victims be impaled by large, metal spikes, or crushed by rapidly closing in walls. Not to mention his love of creatures, large, brutal creatures made of sorcery, which effortlessly ripped the limbs off of mortals and gods alike. Mileena kept her wits about her, listening for any footsteps, feeling for any switches that'd trigger spikes emerging from the floor.

She'd gone around a corner twice when she heard it. Footsteps. Instinctively pulling one sai out and into her hand, she narrowed her eyes as she slowly, quietly as possible, stepped closer to the noise. Her assassin training kicked in, and her feet made no sound as she reached yet another corner.

She paused, listening. These steps weren't heavy, like Shao Kahn's usual beasts. There was no clicking on the ground either, which meant it had no claws on its feet. She listened closer, now leaning against the stone wall. Its breathing was stressed, faster than normal. But it murmured to itself, something creatures don't do.

It was humanoid.

It stopped just around the corner, and in a shaky voice, called "Hello?" Mileena smirked, turning the corner to face the other. It was a man, an Edenian, with mid length brown hair tied back in a high ponytail. His facial hair was ragged and scruffy, similar to his clothing. His eyes flicked to Mileena, widening in recognition.

"The true empress!" He grinned. The man bowed to her, clearly both relieved and surprised. "I knew those stories weren't true. I knew you were alive."

Mileena's amused grin was hidden behind her pink mask. She sheathed her sai, and put her hands together. "Thank you, darling, for having faith in me. Tell me, what's your name?"

"Err, Illiun, empress." He was still young, even for an Edenian. No wrinkles marred his skin, no scars or cuts. Judging by his larger than average figure, the man hadn't worked hard a day in his life. His hands confirmed this further; they looked soft, free of hard labour.

"Illiun." She tested the name, looking back at him for approval with her pronunciation. "It's a lovely name, I must say. And tell me, Illiun, what did you do to end up here?"

He looked embarrassed, eyes flicking to the stone and shifting on his feet. "I, uh, I preached about you, empress. I protested when Kahn's guards tried to shut down my stall for selling items that clearly supported you. He threw me in here about an hour ago, I've been going straight, too scared to turn any corners."

She nodded, taking his words in. Perhaps going back to the start of the tunnels would help her find a way out. It was far too dangerous to try and go through the palace, but being able to track a path back to the start could make escaping easier. "I understand that you've just come from there. But I would like to head back that way, if that is alright. And it is safer to travel together."

"Anything for you, empress" Illiun nodded. Mileena gestured forward, asking him to lead the way. The Edenian walked faster now, leading her back to the start of the tunnels.

A frown crossed over Mileena's features as the hallway started to light up, widening ever so slightly. She scowled at the memory, how her skin had hurt for hours after being forced down into these tunnels. Those Osh-Tekk had a hard grip, leaving red marks around her wrists as they threw her in here. And Kotal, he'd been laughing as he watched her walk away.

He hadn't won. Not yet.

She was going to make him regret letting her live.

Illiun stopped suddenly, pointing upwards. It hadn't taken them long to get to the start. Soft light came from above, poking through the grate and leaving square patterns on the ground. Kotal hadn't even bothered throwing the rug back over it, the vent was open for anyone to see.

Mileena craned her neck to look up. She saw no guards, which was strange for Kotal. He couldn't be idiotic enough to feel safe, especially if he wasn't certain of Mileena's status. The emperor had no way of knowing if she was dead or alive, he hadn't set foot in the tunnels since she'd been sent down here. Kotal seemed to be feeling confident, which was always dangerous for an emperor to be.

Shao Kahn had been confident. And it had ultimately led to his downfall. Mileena hadn't seen her father die herself, but she'd heard the stories. The Thunder God had brought him down, stronger with the Elder God's assistance. And she knew the failed actor and the Earthrealm witch had been there, watching him die. The trio had orphaned her, had killed the one person she was devoted to completely.

"They threw a pack in after me!" Illiun gasped, breaking Mileena's train of thought. The man walked over to the bag. It was a brown woven bag, small enough to be worn over the shoulder quite easily. He looked inside briefly. "There's chalk in here! And some bandages, and... Kahnum, look at this!"

Mileena hummed, stepping up behind him. Illiun gasped when he turned and saw her, almost touching noses with Mileena. She gave him a small smile, although he couldn't see it, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Illiun."

"Uh, you're welcome, Empress." He chuckled nervously, holding onto the bag strap tighter. "But all I did was lead you here."

"Ah, but you'll help me so much more in the future." Mileena leant closer, leaving little room in between them. "To repay you," she twirled her sai in her hand, amused with how it glinted in the light. The reflection lit up Illiun's face, he laughed again, even more nervous, "I'll give you one of my sais."

Illiun gasped again, now grinning. "I- really empress? That means so much, you can't be serious."

"Darling..." Mileena grinned, this time her eyes narrowed. "I've never been more serious in my life." Her sai sliced his flesh with ease, head hanging limp after his neck was ripped open. Illiun fell to the stone ground with a thud, gasping before his eyes rolled back, blood still spilling out of his neck. Mileena stood over him, untangling the bag from his shoulder and slinging it over her own. Her stomach growled when she looked over him, Mileena crouched down, tearing his flesh open and biting into it.

Humanoid flesh tasted _so_ much better than the small creatures she'd been eating. She closed her eyes in bliss at the taste, gods, she'd missed it. Once she'd taken enough bites from his side, she used her sai to cut chunks off, wrapping them with Illiun's clothing and placing it in her bag. She dipped her hand in his flesh, covering it in his blood, and started to trace the walls with the blood as she walked away. This way, she wouldn't waste the chalk, and could use it later once the blood had dried.

"Really," she turned back to the body, still grinning, "you've helped me so much, Illiun."

* * *

Once the blood had dried, Mileena put the bag down to dig through it, hoping to find the chalk. Kotal had been generous enough to give her three sticks of the stuff. As Illiun had said, there were some bandages in the bag. At the bottom was a small book.

She frowned, grabbing the book by its spine and holding it. It fit in one hand, yet despite its small size, it must have had near a thousand pages. The book was thick in her hand, its cover was a dark red, and a black seal was printed on the front. Mileena opened it, then rolled her eyes at herself. Of course, it was too dark to read the small print, although squinting revealed it was handwritten. She sighed, closing it again and putting it back in her bag for later.

Usually, Mileena would show little interest in such a thing. Reading wasn't exactly her forte, she didn't possess the patience to sit still long enough to finish a story. But this book felt important, she'd been given it for a reason. Holding the chalk in one hand, Mileena continued to trace the walls. The chalk was just light enough to be seen across the stone, she wouldn't get lost with a way to track where she'd come from.

She was going to find a way out. And when she did, Kotal was going to pay.


	4. Chapter 4

Getting information turned out to be more difficult than she thought, Sonya decided it was because of two factors. One, her rank as General, and Cassie's fame for being the one to defeat Shinnok, and two, the fact they were in uniform, and stood out in the Outworld crowd. The second factor would be easy to change, if Sonya was willing to wear one of the women's outfits. But the ones she'd come across were too revealing for her tastes, Johnny would have a field day if he saw her wearing it. Besides, they had no Outworld money, and the store vendor's wouldn't accept Earthrealm currency.

The first factor couldn't be helped. Maybe Sonya should've partnered up with a different member of Johnny's team. But Cassie insisted that they should be partners, and Sonya didn't mind speaking to her daughter. At first, it felt strange having casual conversations with her, but now both were more used to it, and more willing to talk.

Currently, they stood at a clothing stall. The woman selling goods there had been uneasily watching the mother-daughter duo for a while; Sonya caught her staring many times. She seemed even more nervous as they walked closer, and gave away signs that she'd been lying to their faces.

"Look, we're just asking if you've heard anything about Mileena." Cassie had both hands raised, signaling she had no intention of hurting the vendor. The woman hadn't been able to keep her fingers still since they'd walked closer to her. She also couldn't hold eye contact with Cassie or Sonya for long, quickly looking away if she stared for more than a few minutes. "I'm not accusing you of having her hidden under your tablecloth, I'm just asking if you know what's happened."

They'd been standing here for far too long, Sonya's uniform covered most of her skin, it wasn't appropriate for the hot desert-like weather. Due to Sonya's hot-headed nature, combined with her annoyance at the heat, both she and Cassie decided it was best that Cassie spoke to the vendors. After watching her talk to them, it quickly became apparent she had her father's way with people, she managed to make the Outworlders calm and willing to speak to her almost instantly.

The woman stepped away from the stall table, looking behind Sonya and Cassie. Once she seemed certain with whatever she was looking at, she finally spoke. Her voice was quiet, Sonya could only just hear her. "You're Earthrealmers, right?"

Cassie looked back at Sonya, raising an eyebrow to silently ask if she could tell the woman. Sonya nodded, so Cassie turned back to the stall vendor. "Yes, we're Earthrealmers."

Still fidgeting, the woman stood closer to the stall, voice lower than before. "One of the stalls was shut down, because the vendor supported Mileena. He sold things about her, he was honest about believing she'd be a better leader." The woman shook her head, sighing. "Illiun was an idiot. The guards dragged him away to the Kahn's palace."

"Is that why all the stall owners seem nervous?" Cassie asked, voice equally as low. She smiled warmly at the woman. "I'd be worried too, if the Kahn is acting so paranoid."

"They say he has torture rooms under his palace." The woman seemed even more nervous than earlier. Osh-Tekk circled the marketplace, but none had walked close to stalls yet. "Well, Shao Kahn built the torture rooms. Kotal Kahn uses them apparently, some have told me they hear screams when they walk past the gutters." She put her hands on her chin, the colour drained from her tan skin. "Illiun could be down there. They could be torturing him."

Cassie reached over the table, putting a hand on the woman's shoulder. "You should sit down, take a break. We didn't mean to bring up such a sensitive topic...I would've avoided it if I knew, sorry 'bout that." The woman nodded, moving away from Cassie to take a seat at her stall. "Thanks again, lady. Really appreciate it."

"We should meet up with the others, see what they found." Sonya said once they started to walk away. She felt the woman's eyes on her back. "I don't think that lady was telling us everything."

"She could've been." Cassie shrugged, kicking up some sand. "I mean, it sounded like she was terrified. It takes a lot to get so many people scared and sensitive about a topic. I think she told us a fair bit."

Sonya nodded, moving to adjust her protective vest. She'd find a way to hide it under civilian clothing tomorrow, that way she wouldn't be wearing so many layers. A vest, jacket, and singlet were too much to wear in the Outworld heat. Seeing Cassie shift uncomfortably in her uniform confirmed it wasn't just her who felt too hot.

"Oh, Mom, I forgot to tell you." Looking up from her uniform again, Cassie grinned. "In the car, we were talking about how Mileena could be alive, and I think we came up with a pretty good explanation." Without waiting for Sonya to respond, she started to explain. "I said that it might be one of her clones, and that whoever made her could've created duplicates. We were all sort of skeptical about it, since we thought they'd have different memories to each other. But Takeda said that they might share the same mind, so that all the Mileenas would have the same memories, personality, motives, everything."

Inwardly, Sonya scolded herself. How could she have missed the possibility that it could be a clone? Still, she smiled at Cassie. "I missed that. I've been looking into ways someone could rise from the grave; which was pretty much a dead end. I forget that she's Kitana's clone, they're so different."

"But they look identical. It's kinda messed up, really." Cassie murmured, looking away from Sonya. Out of the corner of her eye, Sonya saw her daughter grin. "Was that pun intentional?"

"What pun?" She rolled her eyes. "I don't make puns."

Cassie laughed, grin widening. She cleared her throat, changing her voice to try and sound like Sonya. "Ways someone could rise from the grave; which was pretty much a dead end." She paused to laugh, talking normally once more. "Oh man, Dad would be so proud of you."

Once she'd said it, Cassie abruptly looked away, clearing her throat awkwardly. A silence passed over them, until Cassie pointed out Jin and Takeda. The pair stood just outside the market grounds, Jin leant on his staff, while Takeda adjusted his gauntlets, neither one saw Cassie and Sonya walk over to them.

It wasn't until Sonya cleared her throat that they looked up. Takeda smiled at both Sonya and Cassie. "Hey, Cassie. And General Blade. Did you guys find any information, because Jin and I didn't find much."

"Didn't find much?" Jin scoffed, standing up straight. Takeda turned to face Kung Jin, concern crossing his features for a split second. "We found nothing. No one wanted to talk to us, they were too nervous to be seen near Earthrealmers."

"You're not exactly welcoming, Kung Jin." Sonya crossed her arms, watching the archer. He scowled at her comment. "I wouldn't want to talk to you either, with that charming attitude."

To her annoyance, Jin smirked at her. "Oh, and General Hard-Ass would know all about being welcoming. If Cassie wasn't there, they wouldn't have spoken to you either." He took a step forward. "Trust me, Sonya-"

"That's General Blade to you." She snapped. Like hell she'd let an arrogant monk talk to her like this. Sonya continued to glare at him; she was going to remind him of his place.

Both Takeda and Cassie shifted awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Getting in between the dispute would be dangerous, no matter whose side they took, they'd catch hell from the other. Instead of interfering, they shared a look of dread, just waiting for someone to snap at the other.

Jin raised his brow, more amused than anything. He shrugged. "Sorry, General Blade, no one wants to talk to you either. You may not have realised, but we all see you as a huge bitch, a control freak that's afraid of-"

"Well, this sounds like a fun conversation." Jin stopped when he heard Johnny's voice, and turned to face the actor. Johnny still smiled, ignoring the anger coming from both Sonya and Jin. Jacqui stood behind him, arms crossed, brown eyes flicking to both of them. He pointed behind him. "How about we stop arguing, and go and rent some rooms at the nearby inn? We didn't bring stuff to camp out, and I don't think returning home just to come back is a great idea."

Sonya sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "How are we going to rent some rooms with no money?" \

"Mister Cage managed to get money." Jacqui spoke up. The specialist shrugged, speaking nonchalantly. "They thought he was charming, and when he told them we travelled from Earthrealm to Outworld, some of them donated for our long travel."

"Woah, Dad," Cassie grinned, "nice."

"No, that is not nice." Sending Johnny a disapproving glare, Sonya stepped closer to him. "You basically swindled them out of their money. You convinced them to hand stuff over, and you made yourself look like you needed help."

"Yeah, I did." He shrugged, unbothered by her accusations. "Usually I wouldn't be okay with doing it. But we need somewhere to stay, and we're not going to get very far with no money." He put his arms out, waiting for her response.

His team had gone completely silent, waiting for her to speak. Sonya rolled her eyes, nodding slightly. "Okay, you have a point." At his grin, she added. "But just this once."

"The Inn's just back there. We should go now, I doubt it'll be busy at lunchtime." Johnny tilted his head towards the inn again, waiting for the others to follow. Sonya nodded, walking next to him across the sand. Johnny's team starting speaking to each other straight away, low enough that Sonya couldn't make out what they were saying.

The general sighed, brushing a strand of blonde hair back behind her ear. The Outworlders had suddenly become louder, the sounds of stalls closing, items being thrown around, and people running along the sand was everywhere. She looked up, seeing two Osh-Tekk walk towards them, expressions hidden behind their skull masks.

"Oh, shit." Cassie murmured behind them. The six Earthrealmers stood stopped walking, falling into a circle formation. Guards emerged from all sides now, Sonya counted at least twenty of the men. The Osh-Tekk walked out from behind the gathering crowds of Outworlders, but one hostile was dressed rather differently to the rest. He stood in front of Kahn's soldiers, dressed in his usual cowboy apparel, minus his shirt and cape.

"General Blade." Although his mouth couldn't be seen, the smile in Erron Black's voice was obvious. He looked over the others, amusement growing with each recognised face. "I see you brought Cage with you. And the rat-pack." She heard the others move at being mentioned, on edge and ready to defend. "As much as I'd like to say it's nice to see you all again," he unholstered one of his guns, moving it around in his hands before pointing it at Sonya, "it isn't. Kotal Kahn's invited you to see him."

"Honoured." Sonya remarked. Her tone held no emotion, it was clear to anyone she didn't mean it. Erron didn't take any offence, he chuckled lightly.

Johnny turned to face the cowboy, lips turned up into a smirk. "While we appreciate your invitation, it doesn't feel all that welcoming." He looked around for a second, before returning his gaze back to Erron. "Maybe if you, y'know, drop the guns, make your troops look less likely to hurt us, all that jazz, then we'll be more enthusiastic."

Erron laughed again, briefly moving the nozzle of his gun away from Sonya. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear." Pointing it at Sonya again, and signaling at the Osh Tekk to step a bit closer, he said. "You're coming with us, to See Kotal Kahn."

Seconds after he said those words, Sonya and Johnny turned to look at each other. The actor didn't raise an eyebrow, he didn't grin or make some comment. Although she couldn't see his eyes, she knew he was saying _, It's your call._ Johnny's team moved in their spots, they were eager to fight. And while they could get through many Osh-Tell but fighting them, it wouldn't be enough to escape. There were too many Osh-Tekk surrounding them, and the palace was close, meaning more could be called forward.

"Okay." After a long silence, Sonya looked back at Erron. She sighed. "We'll go with you to see Kotal. But we're keeping our packs and weapons with us."

Erron shrugged. "That's fine with me." With a few quick gestures, he organised the Osh-Tekk into a neat, organised patrol, and sent many back to their guard posts. Once they'd moved, he commanded the Earthrealmers. "Follow me to the Kahn. And don't try anything, I won't hesitate to put a bullet through your brain."

They fell into a march, the people who'd gathered to watch moved back to their stalls and business, pointedly looking away from the guards and Erron. Sonya jumped at a tap on her shoulder, then realised it was Johnny. He gave her a small smile. _You made the right choice._

She briefly smiled back, but her brow furrowed in concern. _I hope so._


	5. Chapter 5

Kotal Kahn had tried to change the look of his palace, anyone could see that. Although it had been repainted with lighter colours, and multiple plants now grew out the front, Johnny was still reminded of Shao Kahn and his dark, ruthless ways. The build of the palace was enough, with how tall the building was and its sharp, sinister decorations. No amount of bright paint and pretty flowers would remove that, or the very memory of Shao Kahn himself.

No one would say it to Kotal's face, but he was definitely a step down from Shao Kahn. Johnny remembered Shao Kahn too well, the emperor made the ground shake as he walked. Even stronger Outworlders, like Goro or Kintaro, backed down when they saw him. He was a forced to be reckoned with, and was only defeated when the Elder Gods themselves intervened, and aided Raiden in stopping him.

Kotal was a pushover compared to Shao.

A number of guards patrolled the palace, enough to stop Johnny from trying anything. He looked to the side, planning to try and make eye contact with Sonya. Instead, Johnny was surprised to find her already looking at him, he stopped himself from saying anything to her. She looked all over him, her expression wasn't anger, annoyance, or any of her usual emotions. No, he'd definitely seen that expression before. To most, it looked like Sonya was just looking at him, innocently bored and finding something to examine. But Johnny knew better.

After five years, it was obvious to him. The general was definitely thinking, and her thoughts weren't innocent either. Sonya Blade was looking over him with bedroom eyes, and it was oh so tempting for Johnny to say something about it.

This time, he knew it wasn't his make ego twisting an innocent look into something more. Her mind should've been on methods to escape, although the actor did find it flattering. Her storm blue eyes widened when she realised he was looking at her, and she quickly averted her gaze. The sudden flush in her cheeks confirmed he was correct; her thoughts were definitely impure. It took all of his effort to not say anything.

They entered the palace, even more guards stood posted inside, their arms crossed, eyes following the group as they passed. Behind him, Johnny heard Cassie call out. "Oh man, you guys are super serious about your job, huh? Maybe if you'd be this serious a couple of months ago, we wouldn't have beaten the shit out of-"

"Cassandra." Sonya hardly raised her voice to interrupt, but the tone was stern enough for Cassie to stop talking. She looked away from the guards, muttering to herself. Jacqui gave Cassie a small, sympathetic smile, Jin rolled his eyes, and Takeda looked genuinely uncomfortable. While it wasn't a great idea for Cass to start smart-mouthing Kotal's guards, Johnny still felt sorry for his daughter.

"We're here." Erron announced. He marched in front of the group, up towards Kotal's throne. The throne room had also been repainted a pale yellow colour. The windows were open, curtains split, allowing sunlight to bathe the place. An Outworld variation of ivy grew up the walls, relatively thin in most places. Light purple rugs were spread across the floor, leading to the throne. Admittedly, with its curvier build and dark, ancient symbols carved on it in stone, it looked out of place.

Kotal still appeared the same, his markings were blue, headdress large and clearly stating "I am the emperor." The only real difference was the glare he sent them, he stopped resting his head on his fist and sat up straight, frowning.

Erron Black didn't bow when he approached Kotal. He nodded in his emperors direction, and moved to take his place next to Kotal's throne, arms crossed.

In seconds, Kotal's glare disappeared, and he leant forward, smiling at the Earthrealmers. "I remember you four." He muttered, looking over Cassie, Jacqui, Jin and Takeda. "You prevented me from allowing Shinnok to win."

A shudder went down Johnny's spine at the mention of Shinnok. Beside him, Sonya's face darkened. Memories of being carried to the temple, forced to watch Shinnok become powerful without being able to do anything came back to Johnny. Along with the disgusting sensation of bugs crawling on and into his face. The whole situation was just nasty.

"But you two," the emperor's gaze shifted to Johnny and Sonya, "I've never seen you in Outworld before." He looked at Johnny. "You are Cassie's father?"

Johnny grinned. "That's me, Kotal-ingus." His grin widened at the groans from behind him.

Kotal didn't seem impressed, his lips tightened to a thin line, and his eyes narrowed. "How did I surmise it?" His gaze shifted to Sonya. "And you are Cassie's mother?"

"Yes. General Blade, O.I.A." Instinctively, Sonya's hands moved behind her back, and she shifted into her soldier stance. It almost impressed Johnny with how quickly she did it.

A small _hmph_ came from the emperor. He leant back in his throne, brow raised. "Interesting. Cassie spoke of a General Blade, but I did not expect it to be her mother. After all, it is a custom both in Outworld and Earthrealm to take your partners name, is it not?"

Johnny looked over at Sonya again, dreading her response. Her fingers twitched slightly, but to his surprise, she remained calm. "Yes, that's usually how it works. But I didn't take Cage's last name, I preferred my own." He let out a sigh of relief. Still, he was surprised she hadn't said anything about the divorce. Kotal wasn't a friend or ally, but, usually, Sonya never hesitated to bring it up and blame Johnny for something.

Kotal nodded, leaning to one side to rest his chin on his fist again. "I see. That makes sense, I would also be too fond of my surname to replace it." He paused, waiting for a response. When he didn't receive one, he cleared his throat. "How about we discuss why you are really here. My guards tell me you were asking about Mileena, is this true?"

"Yes." Sonya cut both Johnny and Cassie off, stepping forward slightly. The emperor looked shocked that she'd come closer, he watched Sonya intently. "We need to bring her back to Earthrealm."

"That sounds like you are demanding I listen to you." His expression soured, Kotal leant forward in his throne, instantly alerting Erron. The gunslinger's hand moved back to his revolver, eyes fixed on his employer. "Do you not know your place?"

Cassie sucked in a breath as Jacqui's eyes widened. Johnny did a combination of the two, watching Sonya carefully. Her shoulders raised slightly, her whole body stiffened, and her hands clenched into fists behind her back. She gritted out her next words. "I know my place, and it's not beneath you." Seeing his confounded expression, her stance relaxed slightly. "Look, I don't care what you think of us. We need to take Mileena back to Earthrealm. We know she's alive, and we know she could be dangerous."

"I have no reason to trust Earthrealm, especially after your failed protection of the amulet." He paused, blue eyes looking up at the ceiling. They waited in silence, until Kotal looked back at Sonya. "On second thought, I have neither the time, nor patience to deal with Earthrealmers. I will take you to Mileena, and you will leave with her. Do not allow her to return to Outworld."

"What's the catch?" Johnny walked forward so he stood next to Sonya. He looked up at Kotal skeptically, crossing his arms. "This seems too easy, especially after you acted all jumpy when my wife asked for Mileena the first time."

He saw Sonya tense slightly, and he instantly realised and regretted what he'd said. She was definitely going to call him up on it later, but for now, her focus was more on Kotal. The blue man stood from his seat, stepping off of the low platform the throne was on. "There is no "catch," Johnny Cage. I am working in a strategic manner. By giving you Mileena, I will be getting rid of a threat to my throne, and you will have what you want. We will both be satisfied with the outcome."

Johnny still wasn't convinced. Doubt gnawed at him, but when he went to protest, he received a glare from Sonya. "Sounds good. Lead us to her." The general said it quickly, stopping him from saying anything. Kotal nodded, and began to walk away from them. They followed him through the doorway, still feeling the Osh-Tekk and Erron's eyes fixed on them.

They passed through three highly decorated rooms before Kotal stopped. He frowned, turning to the closest Osh-Tekk. "Why is the rug not covering her prison? I remember commanding you to cover when I left!" The Osh-Tekk said nothing, simply shrugging. They missed the glare Kotal gave them, Johnny had a feeling this guard wasn't going to survive the night.

Erron crouched down, lifting the metal grate on the floor. It creaked open, landing on the stone floor with a clatter. The mercenary moved away from the grate, standing to the left of Sonya.

"This is where Mileena is." Kotal explained. The grate was large, it could easily fit five people through it at a time. The only light coming from the cell was from the castle, with the rug covering it, it'd be pitch black. Looking into it gave Johnny an uneasy feeling; he didn't want to be any nearer to it. "You may go in there and arrest Mileena now."

Sonya stepped closer, standing so the toe of her boots hung slightly over the edge. How she could be so certain baffled Johnny, she was usually the more cautious one of the pair. "I want a light source first. A candle or something. And a guard to come with me."

"You're not going alone." Johnny's couldn't stop himself for protesting. He lessened the space between him and Sonya. "I'm coming with."

His ex-wife rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she said. "You don't need to. I'm taking a guard with me."

"I don't think it's a good idea to trust a guard you barely know."

"I don't really care. I'm going in there, and I'm getting-"

She didn't get to complete her sentence. Even if she had, Johnny wouldn't have heard her. He cried out when he felt to hands briefly on his back. Whoever it was shoved him forward, making the actor lose his footing. He fell down into the dark cell, Sonya's cry next to him confirmed she'd also been pushed into the cell. Erron and Kotal's figures looked down at the two, Kotal called for Osh-Tekk, demanding they take Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda and Jin away.

Johnny fell with a thump, the hard ground jarring every bone in his body. Sonya landed somewhere beside him, a loud "Fuck!" coming from her. It didn't surprise him, if his teeth hadn't clattered together, he would've sworn as well.

The small bit of light vanished as Kotal covered the grate with the rug. Apparently he didn't feel like mocking the pair, not to their faces at least. With a small grunt, Johnny stood up from the ground, checking for any injuries. He felt sore from falling, but there was nothing serious, just a few cuts and scratches. Judging by the fact she was already walking around, Sonya was also injury free.

Once his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, Johnny decided to move around in the space they were in. He frowned when the toe of his sneakers made contact with something soft. "Hey, Sonya." He called his ex-wife over. "I think I found something."

He heard her footsteps behind him, flinching slightly when she touched his shoulder. "I've got a torch on my belt, the battery should last for hours, if we keep it on low beam." The sound of something being unclipped was heard, Sonya held something up. She pressed the button on the torch, and both gasped at what they saw.

Some man, assumedly Edenian, was laying on the floor. His corpse had been here for a while now, some flies were settling onto his body. Huge chunks of flesh were missing from his side, his shirt was ripped, and a look of shock was frozen onto his face. Neither Johnny nor Sonya said anything, but both were thinking the same thing. Mileena.

Sonya directed the torch around the room they were in. It turned out it wasn't just a cell, a pathway led from the room. On the left wall was a bloodied handprint, which turned into a long, red streak of blood.

"It'll lead us to her." Sonya said. She turned to Johnny, determination flashing in her eyes. "Come on. We'll find her, then we'll discover a way out."

He nodded, looking back at the man's corpse, before following Sonya forward. It felt wrong to leave him there, but what choice did they have? Maybe Kotal and his guards would discover him later.

Currently, both Sonya and Johnny had one thing on their minds. And that was finding Mileena.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Sorry for taking a while to update, I got a new job, got busier with a whole lot of stuff. But anyways, here's chapter 6, enjoy!**

* * *

The only sound Sonya heard for half an hour was hers and Johnny's footsteps. For once in her life, she wished he'd talk; the silence was driving her insane.

She didn't like it; it let her hear her own thoughts. And those thoughts were fixed on how she'd managed to walk all six of them into a trap.

Anyone could've seen Kotal's intentions. Hell, _Johnny_ had seen it; she'd just refused to believe him. She'd been intent on finding Mileena, Sonya hadn't stopped for a split second to think about Kotal's actions. Now, Johnny's whole team was under Kotal's control. She hoped they were safe, well, as safe as you can be when captured by Outworld's emperor. She hoped they were alive, not bruised or hurt in any way, and planning a way to escape.

Sonya knew Cassie had Johnny's quick thinking. She'd keep her and her team safe, no doubt about it. However, Cassie wouldn't have to if Sonya had been more cautious. Guilt gnaws at her stomach, until Sonya put her hand up, signalling Johnny to wait. Her ex-husband stopped walking, looking somewhat confused.

"I just need to stop for a second." She murmured. There was almost no air flow in the tunnels; it was even warmer down here than it'd been out in the sun. Sonya placed her backpack on the ground, then unzipped her protective vest, shrugging it off and throwing it on top of the bag for the time being.

Johnny shuffled uncomfortably. "Uh, what are you doing?"

She rolled her eyes at him, pulling her dark grey shirt over her head. "What does it look like?" At his raised eyebrow, she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Never mind, don't answer that. It is _incredibly_ hot in here, and before you say it, no, it is _not_ because you're in here."

"You're no fun, you know that?" She considered taking offence to his statement, but recognised the playful tone in his voice. Instead she chose to roll her eyes again, smirking at his laugh. There was another silence as she shoved her vest and shirt into her bag, leaving her white singlet on. Eventually, Johnny spoke. "You must've thought I was hot an hour ago."

"That doesn't sound conceited at all." Sonya scoffed, standing up and slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Hey, you were the one sending me painfully obvious bedroom eyes earlier." She tensed at his comment. Shit, she hadn't been that obvious, had she? Judging by the seriousness in Johnny's expression, he wasn't kidding.

"I had nothing else to think about." Her excuse came out too fast for it to sound casual. Sonya turned her back to him, crossing her arms. "It doesn't matter now. I fucked up, all of your team is in Kotal's hands, and I basically handed them to him."

She narrowed her eyes when she heard him scoff, stepping closer to her. "Don't be like that, Sonya. You can't put all the blame on yourself."

"Fine." She sighed again, uncrossing her arms. "I can put a lot of it on me though. It's my responsibility to find Mileena, and to get those four back from Kotal."

"It's our responsibility." She heard him step closer, and instinctively tensed again. "Fujin contacted both of us. Kotal took our daughter, our niece, and the kids we're responsible for. We're going to find Mileena, and get the team back."

Sonya had to stop herself from replying with some snarky comment. It wouldn't help either of them, besides, she wasn't frustrated with Johnny. All her anger was on herself right now, she was the one kicking herself for being so easily misled. If they were fighting, they wouldn't find Cassie and her team soon. Instead, she just nodded, choosing not to say anything.

Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she could just make out the blood and chalk trail left on the walls. She wouldn't admit it, but the complete darkness was putting her on edge, it made her nervous. The general almost jumped at the smallest of noises, even though most of them were made by her and Johnny.

She flinched when fingers brushed the inside of her palm. Sonya found the will to pause for a few seconds, and allowed herself to enjoy the contact, before she turned to give Johnny a confused look. He moved his hand away when she looked at him, stuttering. "I-uh, sorry. It's just dark in these tunnels, and I thought it'd be...I...yeah..."

Despite her frustration at being sent down here, her anger at allowing Kotal to keep Johnny's team captive, her low fear and anxiousness at what could be down in these tunnels, Sonya allowed herself to smile. More importantly, she smiled at Johnny Cage, a man she could never help caring about, being worried over, and quietly admiring. It happened quickly, but she remembered when she first saw the real him, when she fell in love with him. Him and his stupid, gorgeous grin. His terrible jokes that she'd roll her eyes at. And his ability to laugh anything off, or drop unnecessary worries.

She also remembered the nightmares. How she'd wake up in a cold sweat, only to find his arms around her in seconds, reassuring her she'd be okay. He also looked out for her, forcing her to sit down and eat when she'd worked all through the night. He looked after her when she wasn't concerned with looking after herself.

Her fingers started to shake, something she found almost amusing. Although she was in her early fifties, and she'd certainly done more than hold hands with this man, she still felt butterflies in her stomach. Her hand grabbed his, their fingers entwined, and suddenly, some of her anxieties about being left in the tunnels disappeared.

Johnny looked confused for a split second, but when he realised what has happened, he smiled. It wasn't a fake, Hollywood actor smile either. And for the first time since they'd been divorced, Sonya genuinely smiled back. She squeezed his hand in response, and felt her current anger slip away, just enough for her to think clearly.

"Come on, we're going to find Mileena." She said with renewed determination. Still holding onto his hand, Sonya started to walk down the tunnel again. Her free hand was on the wall, brushing against the powder left from the chalk. The sooner they found her, the sooner they could focus on escaping the tunnels.

* * *

Mileena had stopped walking. While she still had chalk left, she was sick of walking down the never ending tunnels. She laid on her back, humming quietly to herself. The book was still in her bag, the urge to try and read it was strong, eating away at her. But she knew there'd be no use, it was too dark to see her own hand just centimetres in front of her face, let alone read small, messy handwriting.

The footsteps had her standing up in mere seconds. She grabbed her sai, one still red from Illuin's now dried blood, and stood ready to attack. Judging by the footsteps, there were either two humanoids, or one four legged creature. Either way, it would provide a meal for her; she had eaten all of the chunks she'd taken from Illuin's body.

She didn't expect the light. It blinded her for a second, spots danced in her vision as she blinked rapidly. It was a mistake to turn away, something hit her ankle, and she fell to the ground, landing with a soft thud and disturbing the thin layer of dust across the floor. Something put weight on her, Mileena's first instinct was to shriek and fight them off, but instead, she looked up at her attacker and grinned.

She hadn't met her attacker in person, but she had heard about her. The long, blonde hair was unmistakable, her dark blue eyes narrowed, a small smirk tugged at her lips. Although she was wearing less clothing than Mileena expected, Sonya Blade lived up to the stories she had head.

Most had come from Kano. The mercenary from some place called Aus-tray-lee-ah had often whined about Sonya, claiming he'd kill her one day. "She's a real petite looking lady, long blonde hair, blue eyes always determined. She looks pretty, but she can put a man down in seconds. Unless I put her down first."

He made her sound like someone to fear, but so far, Mileena wasn't impressed. Instead, she sneered at her, looking up with disgust. "The Earthrealm Witch."

"I wish. I'd make you vanish." Sonya matched Mileena's sneer. She looked behind her, taking her eyes off of the ex-empress for mere seconds.

It gave Mileena just enough time. She shoved Sonya off of her. The general stumbled back slightly, but was quick to regain her balance. She powered up her gauntlet just as Mileena grabbed her sais once more, snarling at Sonya. Both women stood ready, scanning each other, searching for each other's weaknesses. Neither had fought each other before, they hadn't even see each other in person. They didn't know what the other was capable of.

The dark room was lit with a pink aura, due to Mileena's sais and Sonya's gauntlet. The lighting made Sonya look older, it managed to outline just how gaunt her face had gotten, and the lines around her eyes and on her forehead. Mileena knew she didn't look much better in the pink light, she also knew she shouldn't be looking over Sonya right now. It was simply in her nature to scrutinise another woman; from Mileena's experience, she knew women were the most deadly in combat, and the most beautiful to observe.

She let out a snarl, impatient with waiting, and charged at Sonya. The general side stepped, she moved swiftly and grabbed Mileena's head from behind. The empress's teeth clashed together when Sonya smashed her head against her shoulder. Sonya bent over quickly, despite her smaller size, Sonya managed to send Mileena crashing to the ground. The empress cried out in pain.

Determined not to let Sonya win, Mileena tucked into a ball, rolling forward and knocking Sonya off of her feet. Instead of falling, the general landed on her hands, flipping forward and standing up again. Mileena hissed in frustration, Sonya's smirk didn't help her anger. 'That was mere luck, Witch."

"Not luck." Sonya stepped back, her smirk turning into a smug grin, one that reminded Mileena of the actor, "that was all skill."

Mileena didn't get a chance to reply. A hand clasped over her mouth, just as something was clicked onto one of her wrists. She shrieked, trying to stomp on her attacker's foot. Instead, they managed to click the metal object onto her other hand, and she let out another cry of frustration.

"How're ya doin', Butterface?." She scowled at the man's words. Once he moved his hand away, Mileena stumbled back away from him, bumping into Sonya. She had moved behind Mileena, grabbing her by her elbows to stop her from moving. Johnny Cage walked up to Mileena, smirking as he clipped the metal device to her ankles as well. "Sonya, I think we should cover her with something, the pinks a lil' but noticeable."

Sonya let go of her elbows, walking to stand in front of the ex-empress. "Do you seriously think I have a spare cloak lying around?"

"Well, no, but maybe there's something around here?" He shrugged, looking from Millena to Sonya. "I'm just saying, Kotal's now after us and her, if he sees us he'll kill us on the spot."

 _Stupid, stupid humans._ The half-Tarkatan tilted her head to the side, silently noting that Kotal also hated them. They were feeding her information, and weren't even trying to hide anything.

"You're right." Sonya sighed, shuffling from side to side. "Once we find a way out- _if_ we find a way out, we'll need to disguise her. But our main priority is leaving these tunnels," Sonya looked around herself, "I'm sick of seeing nothing but stone." She grabbed onto the chains around Mileena's wrists, tugging them forward and ignoring the growl the empress let out behind her.

Mileena tugged at the chains, all to no avail. She hissed at Sonya. "You witch! You and your plaything tricked me!"

"Plaything, huh?' Cage raised an eyebrow, turning to wink at Sonya. She rolled her blue eyes, sending Mileena a glare. The general tugged on the chain again, although her features remained neutral, Mileena could tell she was amused.

"Aren't you meant to be a skilled assassin, Mileena? If you really were, you wouldn't have let Johnny catch you so easily."

"And if you were a true general, you wouldn't have cheated in order to win!" She snapped, almost boiling. The two Earthrealmers seemed amused with her anger; all it did was frustrate her more. However, she couldn't do anything. Teleporting with the chains on would only bring them and whoever held them with her, and she wasn't about to escape with Sonya hanging onto her.

She couldn't use brute force either, the chains were too strong, they also stopped her from reaching any weapons. Mileena's only option was to be their prisoner, and she wasn't too thrilled about that.

Sonya and Johnny spoke amongst each other, voices lowered, ignoring her. Sonya had a tight grip on the chains, and after looking over her quickly, Mileena couldn't see any key she could steal. She grumbled quietly to herself, tugging at the chains once more to see if they'd miraculously become weaker. She looked around herself, desperately trying to think of an escape plan. She needed to escape, and she needed to kill Kotal.

For once, Mileena was thankful it was dark. The Earthrealmers couldn't see her grin as something came to mind. Sure, she'd let them lead her out of the dungeon, she'd even tell them that she sort of knew how to escape. But once they were vulnerable, she'd find a way out of her chains and slit their throats. Then, for good measure, she'd stab them both multiple times with her sais, eat parts of them for a snack, then go after Kotal.

She managed to stop grinning when she cleared her throat. The Earthrealmers turned to her as she spoke. "There won't be any _if_ , Blade. You will find your way out of here."

The general scoffed, stepping closer to Mileena. "How do you know that?" She snapped, clear disbelief in her voice.

"Because these tunnels were created by my father." The empress tilted her head up slightly, eyes gleaming. "And if I know him, then I know a way out."


End file.
